As of Dec 1, 2010, I have lost 118 lbs. I hope to lose another 15 lbs but losing isn't really my focus right. Don't get m. I have spene wrong, I still count my calories, stick to my plan, exercise but if I plateau and my body decides its had enough, I am okay with that.. My focus now is being FUN, FABULOUS, and FIERCE. I have spent a lifetime valuing being kind, loyal, ...

Time for yet another update.

**June 13,2011- Working on maintaining. Total loss of 144lbs.**

As of Dec 1, 2010, I have lost 118 lbs. I hope to lose another 15 lbs but losing isn't really my focus right. Don't get m. I have spene wrong, I still count my calories, stick to my plan, exercise but if I plateau and my body decides its had enough, I am okay with that.. My focus now is being FUN, FABULOUS, and FIERCE. I have spent a lifetime valuing being kind, loyal, thoughtful, and loving and yet I have practiced those things on everyone but myself. My goal is to treat myself kindly every single day. To be loyal to myself first. To be thoughtful of what my body, my mind, and my soul need to feel loved. And most of all, to love my body just as it is right now and not five pounds from now.

Still battling Breast Cancer but I am not letting it get me down.

Seriously people, if I can do this, anyone can do this.

_____________________________________________________ Hi all. My name is Jody and I am a Canadian girl. I am the mother of three. A 15 year old son and 13 and 11 year old daughters. My youngest has Down's Syndrome.

I was always a "big" girl. Not overweight because I was extremely active, but "big-boned". Coming from a family where I had 3 sisters who were all tiny, short, and beautiful, I became the one my parents introduced as the smart one. I was never the pretty one. I always felt like the ugly ducking. I was married young and started a family as a teenager. I ceased having any time to care for myself and all my focus was on my children.

In 2003, my husband had an affair. I was devastated. I believed that he cheated on me because I was unattractive. My self-esteem hit an all time low and I comforted myself with food. And I stayed because I didn't think it was possible for anyone else to love me. My weight crept up. Then the unthinkable, on February 12, 2007, my sister ended her own life. She left behind three children. My family struggled but fate wasn't done with us yet. Four months to the day my first sister passed away, my oldest sister also passed away from an etopic pregnancy. In a family that is extremely dysfunctional, I have always had to be the strong one. The one that everyone else leans on and so instead of grieving, I ate and here I am. 248 lbs. This is my year for change. This is the year that I am going to love myself enough to make the hard choices and do what is right for me instead of always doing what is right for everyone else. I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and it is a daily struggle. I work with my Pain Management doctors and I hope and pray that taking this weight off will lessen the pain.